We had a great day yesterday!!! We gave the children their gifts then we went to church and it was a full house! Uncle Alvin made homemade sweet rolls for EVERYONE and coffee and juice! It was awesome!!!!! Totally yummy! Thank you Alvin and Ruth! Then there was a message preached and how refreshing. It was said to imagine yourself being in the "Real Life" manger scene. Which character would I have been? A shepherd, poor and low class? A wise man, rich and intelligent? The inn keeper, the owner of many rooms? Simeon, the one that prophesied? Anna, the widow that fasted and prayer day and night?
We came home to a great smell! I had a roast baking in the oven! We ate and then Mike and the kids put their new ping pong table together. They love their gift! We gave Ashlyn some money to start a bank account. I took a nap and we hung out here at home all afternoon and evening.
Matt and Lena came over and gave the kids each a gift and played some round table ping pong. I was tired at 10:00 but Mike and the kids wanted to stay up longer. It's Christmas ... so why not? (I did make it clear though that it's normal for a mom to feel tired at 10 PM!!! Right?)
Hadassah said so many times the last few days, "I don't really want Christmas to come yet because then it means it will be over." Cute. We decided we would keep the Christmas spirit all year long! We are not near ready to pack away our Christmas CD's and I wish the radio stations would play the holiday music much longer! Anyway, we are going to keep up the decorations, the lights, the music, and all the gifts we received out for a long time yet! We just don't want Christmas to ever end!
I want to post our Christmas pictures we used for cards and the letter I wrote to send with them ...
*** 2011 Family Picture ***
(Thanks to Martha Rose for her photography talent!)
Our darling children!!!
... 2011 Christmas Letter ...
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
A new Christmas, a new holiday, a new letter about our family …
BUT the reason of our Christmas Celebration remains the same!!! Christ‘s birth!
Our Savior. Our Redeemer!
* Michael is the husband, father of our three children, and the employer in our family! It’s been so amazing to me how Mike has made his Lord & family the top priority in his every day living. Even though he’s busy working at Lapp Structures, he never lets that over rule his wife and kids. (Maybe it’s all the influence and teachings that he’s been getting from Men’s Bible Study?) He loves still being home when the kids wake up in the morning! (We love that too!) Mike also loves to deal the stock market. He likes it so much because he’s good at it! Mike likes to run. I think he’s a natural. He can go for miles and still not be puffed! He makes a good coach for me. He helped Matthew’s Little League Team play ball this spring by being the pitcher must of the time. He got to play some softball on the Jaguar team too. He didn’t get to golf this summer as much as he would have liked to, but still loves the game! He has a motto that he’s been living out. It goes, “Make today the best day of your life!” He says that to himself every morning in the mirror. He’s been texting me more love messages and showing deeper affection to the kids every single day and it’s such a blessing to have a wonderful, Godly man that leads our family with the Lords strength!!!
* I (Lori) get to be the blessed wife and mother of one amazing man and three beautiful children! God blessed us with a healthy baby girl, Ashlyn Marie, back in March. It was a change for us to have an infant and baby things around again, but it’s something we’ve prayed for and God answered! What a blessing! I am kept busy with caring for baby, helping the kids with school work and activities, cooking, cleaning, shopping and doing endless laundry! I wouldn’t trade my job for anything. I feel it’s right where God wants me to be and through serving my family, I hope I can teach God’s principles to our children. I love our Ladies Bible Study at church this fall/winter!. We are studying Beth Moore’s book titled, “Jesus, the One and Only!“ The first lessons were about the birth of Christ and how fitting for this time of year! I love to drink coffee, especially with cream. I don’t think there’s anything like taking too many pictures of your kids! I started a blog back in March and love it! You can find it online at www.reallife-lori.blogspot.com! I started running too. (These holiday activities are making this tough. I seem to be different than Mike in this area. Running is work for me! The colder weather has kept me indoors some too. Walking the treadmill just isn‘t the same.) Mothering is much easier when the daddy’s make it a team job and not just ‘mom’. Mike really helps with the kids and house chores. I appreciate that. Looking back at another year coming to a close, I see growth. My little children are growing up so fast … too fast. Mike is growing the business. Our marriage and love for each other is growing deeper! (That’s something I can’t figure out? Love grows even when you think your love for each other is at it’s strongest.) My goal is to grow more like Jesus every day.
* Hadassah is 9 years old. (Almost 10 and I remember when I turned 10! What happened to all that time?) She is in fourth grade this year and is loving every single minute of it!!! Thank you so much, Miss. Ranck, for all the wonderful influence you show to your class! This is Hadassah’s third year in taking piano lessons at school and she can’t wait to upgrade to a piano instead of a keyboard hopefully soon! She loves, loves to hang out and friends are a must for her! She loves her brother and younger sister and really does a great job at helping me care for them. Her dog is her pride and joy. Ginger gets lots of treats and kisses from her! Hadassah is beautiful and her heart is fixed on pleasing God!
* Matthew is six years old. He is learning so much in first grade! This is such a huge learning grade and he has new words that he is learning every week. Thank you, Mrs. Koenig, for your great organization and dedication to getting his class the best education there is!!! Matthew likes school but really loves to play too. He loves any sport but especially baseball. He did super in his Little League this summer and was even chosen to play on the All Star team. He received his very first trophy and he is so proud of it! Matthew loves his family and can always get Ashlyn in a giggle. He was so sad when our pet cat, Whiskers, died a few weeks ago. But after a small burial, he picked some mums and laid it on top. I was reminded of his tender heart. He loves his life, his family, his pets, and loves Jesus!
* Ashlyn is 9 months old and so much fun!!! I can’t imagine life with out her! She is pulling herself up to a standing position and walks along furniture. Ginger and her love to play together by pulling back and forth with the doggy toys. Ashlyn has a sweet smile and she has her daddy wrapped tight around her little finger. She loves her daddy and demands for him the instant she see’s him! If she hears his voice, she whines until he comes and picks her up. She has a few teeth. Her nuk and blankie are bedtimes buddies. Her blue eyes, blonde hair and petite figure are so adorable! God has made a beautiful baby girl and we are the chosen, blessed parents to care for her!
* Ginger is our Morkie house dog. She’s small and cute. She snuggles with Hadassah, roughs around with Matthew and does tug a war with Ashlyn. We gave her to the children last year for Christmas, and looking back, giving a puppy to the kids was one of our best gifts yet!
We want to wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
~ Michael, Lori, Hadassah, Matthew, & Ashlyn Lapp ~
www.reallife-lori.blogspot.com
